Safety cleaning tip

Abstract

A device operative having a rotating cleaning tip for cleaning a narrow channel, such as an ear canal. In one embodiment, the tip is coupled to a handle with a motor that rotates the tip. The rotating tip has a plurality of strips that bow outwardly, scraping debris from the walls without debris accumulating and impacting along a channel wall. The bowing strips provide entry slits to capture debris into the tip, the strips closing after capture, removing debris when the tip withdraws from the channel. The device has a safety ring disposed around the tip, the safety ring operative for limiting penetration into a narrow canal when cleaning.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A safety cleaning device for cleaning debris from a narrow channel, comprising:
 a tip having an inner shaft, said inner shaft having a top and a bottom; 
 a top member coupled to said inner shaft top; 
 a collar, the collar coupled to said inner shaft bottom, the collar having a plurality of radial prongs; 
 a rotatable bottom stem coupled to the inner shaft below said collar; and 
 a segmented outer head, said head having a plurality of strips, said strips extending along said inner shaft, said strips defining an interior space enclosing said inner shaft, each strip coupled to the top member and to the rotatable bottom stem adjacent to and below the collar, said strips rotating as the bottom stem rotates in one direction, the stem withdrawing the inner shaft through the collar when the stem extends the prongs of said collar, thereby decreasing the length of the shaft inside the head, pulling the top member towards the collar, bowing the strips outward away from the shaft, and providing a plurality of entry slits between the strips operative for collecting debris from a narrow channel. 
 
     
     
       2. The device as described in  claim 1 , wherein the strips rotate in an opposite direction, the stem extending the inner shaft and contracting the prongs of said collar, the strips contracting inwardly towards the shaft closing the entry slits thereby trapping the collected debris in the interior space. 
     
     
       3. The device as described in  claim 2 , wherein said device couples to a handle, the handle having a center bore configured for receiving said stem of said device. 
     
     
       4. The device as described in  claim 3 , wherein said device is disposable, said device selectively coupling to the handle and selectively detaching from the handle after collecting debris, the debris and device operative for discarding. 
     
     
       5. The device as described in  claim 4 , wherein the said handle has a safety ring around the center bore, said safety ring configured for limiting penetration of tip into a channel, said device is configured for cleaning an ear canal. 
     
     
       6. The device as described in  claim 5 , wherein said handle is motorized for rotating said device stem. 
     
     
       7. The device as described in  claim 6 , wherein the handle having a grip at about a right angle to the center bore. 
     
     
       8. The device as described in  claim 1 , wherein each strip has a plurality of panels, a top panel hingedly coupled to the top member, a bottom panel hingedly couple to said stem, each panel hingedly connecting to an adjacent panel along the inner stem. 
     
     
       9. The device as described in  claim 1 , wherein each strip is a unitary piece constructed from flexible material operative for bowing into an arc shape outwardly away from the shaft. 
     
     
       10. A method of cleaning debris from a channel using a safety cleaning tip, comprising:
 inserting a safety cleaning tip into a channel, said tip having an inner shaft, the shaft having a top and a bottom, said bottom coupled to a stem, said shaft encircled by a collar above the stem, said tip having a plurality of strips extending from said stem to the tip top; 
 rotating the stem in one direction, the stem withdrawing the inner shaft through the collar, thereby shortening the inner shaft, bowing the strips outwardly outward away from the shaft, providing a plurality of entry slits between the strips; 
 collecting debris from the narrow channel by further rotating the stem, the strips scraping the debris from the channel; and 
 rotating the stem in an opposite direction, extending the inner shaft, contracting the strips inwardly towards the shaft, operative for extraction from the channel. 
 
     
     
       11. The method as described in  claim 10 , wherein the stem is coupled to a handle having a motor, said motor rotating the stem. 
     
     
       12. The method as described in  claim 11 , wherein said tip is one of a plurality of tips and said tips are arrayed in a rack with the stems facing upward for easily engaging the handle and wherein the step of coupling the stem to the handle includes ejecting a used tip from the handle prior to coupling a new stem to the handle.